Mongolian Beef Meatballs: The all-inclusive guide for making the best meatballs every time

These might be the best meatballs you’ve ever had.

They’re a dinner you can always count on. Meatballs are easy to make and easy to customize to any meal—not just spaghetti!

Rachael Yerkes has perfected her meatball method to create tender and rich meatballs every time. Rachael rolled out the ultimate meatball guide. She shared her perfect ratio, cooking method, and special ingredient to bind the meatballs together.

What type of meat should I use?

Rachael uses more than one type of meat for more flavor. “Using more than one type of meat in your meatball adds a wealth of flavor to the meatball,” she said. Her recipe calls for ground beef, ground pork, and ground veal or sausage.

What should I season the meat with?

This recipe calls for salt, pepper, parsley, oregano, and garlic. A good basic spice base can serve you with multiple sauces. “You want the meatball to work equally well in tomato sauce as with a buffalo sauce or other sauce as well,” Rachael added.

How can I keep my meatball together?

Rachael says there are two reasons meatballs fall apart when cooking:

1. Not enough moisture in the meatball structure
2. The wrong ratio of filler, binder, and meat

If you aren’t using the right binder ratio, your meatball will fall apart. For two pounds of meat, Rachael calculates two eggs, two cups of bread crumbs, and one cup of milk. Your measurements might vary. Use your hands to mix the meat so you can get a feel for the consistency. You want the mixture to be moist, but hold their shape if rolled.

Meal Prep Meatballs

Rachael likes to make a double batch of meatballs and freeze half. When you’re in a pinch and want a meatball sub, an easy appetizer, or just a nice bowl of spaghetti, they’re ready to cook and serve. Rachael freezes her meatballs uncooked, but cooked meatballs freeze well, too.

To Freeze Meatballs:

1. Shape the meatballs.
2. Set on a lined baking tray.
3. Stick in freezer for 1-2 hours, until set.
4. Transfer to a freezer-safe bag to store until ready to cook.

Rachael has a complete meatball guide on her website. Find it here.

Find Rachael’s Mongolian Beef Meatball post here.

Mongolian Beef Meatballs

By Rachael Yerkes of Eazy Peazy Mealz

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Pressurizing: 10 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 10

INGREDIENTS

Sauce

• 2 teaspoon sesame oil
• 2 Tbs garlic minced
• 2 Tbs ginger paste
• 1 cup low sodium soy sauce
• 2 tsps sriracha
• 1 1/2 cup water
• 1 cup brown sugar
• ¼ cup hoisin sauce
• 3 tablespoons oyster sauce
• ½ tsp black pepper

The Rest

• 60 homestyle meatballs
• 1 cup green onions sliced
• 2 Tbs toasted sesame seeds

METHOD

Instant Pot Directions

1. In a large bowl mix all sauce ingredients together, and stir well.
2. Add frozen meatballs to an instant pot liner, and pour sauce over the top.
3. Place lid on instant pot and lock into place, set valve to sealing.
4. Cook on manual pressure for 10 minutes
5. Quick release pressure
6. Remove lid, and hit the “cancel” button, then hit the “saute” button
7. Cook on “saute” mode, stirring regularly, to reduce the sauce, cook until it reaches desired thickness, 5-10 minutes
8. Once desired thickness is reached for the sauce, remove from instant pot to serving dish, and garnish with toasted sesame seeds and green onions
9. Serve immediately over cooked brown rice.

Slow Cooker Instructions

1. Add all sauce ingredients to the slow cooker, and stir well.
2. Thaw pre-cooked meatballs, or partially thaw them. Or use fresh (raw) meatballs.
3. Add meatballs to the slow cooker, and cover with a lid.
4. Cook on high 1.5 – 2 hours (for thawed cooked meatballs) or low for 4 hours. If using raw meatballs, increase cooking time to 2-3 hours on high and 5-6 hours on low.
5. If when cooking time is up, sauce has not reached desired thickness (unlikely), reduce sauce by cooking it over medium-high heat on a stove top.
6. When done cooking, garnish with sesame seeds and green onions.

Perfect Basic Meatballs

By Rachael Yerkes of Eazy Peazy Mealz

Prep Time: 7 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Total Time: 42 minutes
Servings: 8

INGREDIENTS

• 1 pound ground beef
• 1/2 pound ground veal sausage if you can’t find veal
• 1/2 pound ground pork
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup Romano cheese freshly grated , or use Parmesan
• 1 1/2 tablespoons Italian flat leaf parsley chopped
• 1 Tbs basil chopped, fresh, or use ½ Tbs dried basil
• ½ Tbs dried oregano
• salt and ground black pepper to taste
• 2 cups Italian bread crumbs
• 1 cup milk

METHOD

1. Combine beef, veal, and pork in a large bowl. Add garlic, eggs, cheese, parsley, seasonings, and salt and pepper.
2. Gently add bread crumbs into meat mixture and combine.
3. Slowly add the milk 1/2 cup at a time. The mixture should be very moist but still hold its shape if rolled into meatballs. (I usually use about 1 cup of milk).
4. Shape into meatballs the size of a golf ball.

 3 Options to Cook

Par Bake for Later Use

22. Place meatballs on a cookie sheet
23. Bake in preheated oven at 325 degrees for 10 minutes.
24. Cool to room temperature, then freeze on the tray for an hour or so.
25. Then pop off the tray and add to a freezer bag.
26. When ready to cook: Add to a sauce and simmer, or cook in a glass casserole dish until medium-well on the inside, 15-20 minutes at 350.

Bake

27. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
28. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper
29. Place meatballs on baking sheet and cook at 350 degrees for 35 minutes.

Crock Pot

30. Add to crock pot with sauce and cook for 4-8 hours.

Notes

Tip: Fry a tiny meatball to taste for seasoning before cooking the whole batch. Taste, and adjust the cheese, salt, garlic, etc as desired.

Find more of Rachael’s recipes on her website, eazypeazymealz.com, or on Instagram @ezpzmealz.